Field
The present disclosure is in the field of integrated circuits. More specifically, the present disclosure involves heat dissipation and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding mechanisms for a die embedded in a package substrate.
Background
Integrated circuits are the cornerstone of most modern day electronic devices. Integrated circuits are a microscopic array of electronic circuits and components made together or integrated; hence the name. Initially, integrated circuits held only a few devices, probably as many as ten diodes, transistors, resistors and capacitors that allow the integrated circuit to fabricate one or more logic gates. Today, very-large-scale integration (VLSI) has created integrated circuits with millions of gates and hundreds of millions of individual transistors. Integrated circuits are found in devices such as computers and cellular phones. Over the years, scientists have significantly reduced the size of integrated circuits. In turn, these smaller integrated circuits bring about smaller electronic devices. The decrease in size of integrated circuits over the years has been so dramatic that to decrease their size even further is made difficult by physical limitations found at micro- and nanometer levels.
Usually, integrated circuits are produced on a single wafer of electronic grade silicon and then cut into pieces. Each piece represents a copy of the circuit and is called a die. An integrated circuit package generally refers to the die mounted within a protective housing where conductive input/output (I/O) pads of the die connect to external pins or pads (e.g., ball grid array packages) using bond wires or conductive pillars. The protective housing typically does not offer heat dissipation and EMI shielding mechanisms for the die. Consequently, there is a need for a method and associated apparatus for protecting the die from the damaging effects of heat and EMI.